


Swallow It Down

by Byrcca



Series: Equinox [2]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode: s05e26 Equinox, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-16 17:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16499327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Byrcca/pseuds/Byrcca
Summary: The longest turbolift ride in the history of Voyager. Jeez, I loathe Max Burke.





	Swallow It Down

**Author's Note:**

> Pill:  
> noun  
> \- a small globular or rounded mass of medicinal substance, usually covered with a hard coating, that is to be swallowed whole.  
> \- something unpleasant that has to be accepted or endured:  
>  _Ingratitude is a bitter pill._  
>  \- Slang, a tiresomely disagreeable person.

He had spent the evening slowly simmering, admiring Tom’s restraint. Tom had worn a mask of polite interest, smiling and nodding and asking the right questions at the right times, appearing to listen and even enjoy Burke’s anecdotes about the year, _seven months_ , he and B’Elanna had dated when they were eighteen and in their first year at the Academy. Burke had done his best to pull memories of shared intimacies from her, but a couple of times she had appeared genuinely baffled by his _remember when_ s. 

Harry had felt a swell of smug superiority as Burke scrambled to laugh it off, to save face. Once, he’d caught Tom’s eye, had tilted his head and twisted his lips in a _can you believe this guy?_ gesture, but Tom had merely smiled blandly at him in return, then turned his head to ask Max a question about his crew’s experiences in the Delta Quadrant. Had they met the Caretaker? What did they think about the hoedown? Had they tried the lemonade and cookies? Any run-ins with the Kazon? 

The hours had dragged by. 

When the evening was finally over and they were headed back to their quarters for the night, when Tom and B’Elanna had stepped off the turbolift on deck four hand in hand, it was all Harry could do to hide his smirk at the expression on Max Burke’s face. Harry had no doubt that Burke knew B’Elanna’s quarters were on deck nine, not too far from where Burke was temporarily housed; that he’d checked.

Harry smiled and wished his friends a pleasant evening as they headed for Tom’s quarters, and secretly hoped that, for once, the deckplates shook with the sounds of their after dinner _digestif_ all the way down to where the _Equinox_ crew were quartered. And as he echoed B’Elanna’s goodnight, he’d been tempted to call her _Maquis_ to show Burke that he didn’t hold a monopoly on nicknames. He refrained because it was theirs; it was between him and Tom and B’Elanna, and he wasn’t about to share it with the likes of _Max_. 

He didn’t like him. It was baseless and unfair, unfounded, really, but it was visceral and after five years in the Delta Quadrant Harry had learned to go with his gut. And his gut reaction to Max Burke was dislike. 

“They make a cute couple.”

Harry stiffened. There was a tone in Burke’s voice that he couldn’t identify, but it wasn’t friendly, and certainly not complimentary. Harry bristled with irritation, hearing the slight and feeling the urge to defend his friends. Burke was Ransom’s first officer; Harry pushed down that urge. 

“So, how long have they been dating?”

Really, it depended on which one of them you asked. “Two years,” Harry replied, fudging the number a little.

“Ah.” Burke nodded. “And you’ve been in the Delta Quadrant for five? Paris didn’t exactly swoop in.” He sent Harry a conspiratorial grin. “Or maybe he had to wait his turn. B’Elanna’s a beautiful woman, I bet she’s never spent a lonely Saturday night.” 

Harry’s chin came up, hearing insult instead of compliment. His spine straightened. “Actually, Tom’s the only guy she’s dated on _Voyager_.” That he knew of. She could have slept her way through half of ship’s services for all he knew, but he doubted it. 

Burke’s eyebrows rose “Really? A gorgeous, sexy woman like B’Elanna? I can’t believe no one else has asked her out.”

“I didn’t say no one asked her out, just that Tom’s the only guy she accepted.”

“He must be a great guy then.” Burke nodded, agreeing with himself, cocked his head. “A little old to be an ensign, though.”

And they’d finally come to the crux of the conversation. Harry didn’t rise to the bait. 

“I figure,” Burke mused, “he was either a Maquis when _Voyager_ was pulled into the quadrant and he joined Starfleet then, or he’s a ‘fleeter and he did something to be demoted.”

Loyalty and a bellyful of indignation compelled Harry to reply this time. “Tom Paris has saved _Voyager_ and everyone on her more times than I count.”

“But he’s still an ensign?” Burke shook his head, raised an eyebrow, “You know, he doesn’t really seem like Maquis material to me. So, what did he do to earn Janeway’s wrath?”

“Why don’t you ask him? Or better yet, why don’t you ask _Captain_ Janeway? Why are you so interested, Commander?”

Burke shrugged. “B’Elanna’s an old friend. I care about her. And I seem to recall, some scuttlebutt about a Lieutenant Paris, some sort of coverup of a piloting error?”

“Really? Doesn’t ring a bell,” Harry lied. Had Burke somehow read Tom’s service record? Harry wouldn’t put it past him. 

Burke nodded. “Might have been before your time. When did you graduate, _Ensign_?” He stressed the rank and Harry stiffened. “You don’t remember hearing any rumors?”

“I try not to pay attention to rumors, Commander.” Harry knew his dislike of the man was irrational, recognized the fact, but he still couldn’t shake it. Didn’t want to. 

Burke laughed. “Surely on a ship the size of _Voyager_ you hear rumours all the time.”

Anger mingled with frustration and Harry felt the overwhelming urge to punch him, to cold clock him and watch as he slid down the wall of the turbolift and landed in a heap on the floor. 

“So, no one since me but him, huh?” Burke picked up the thread of their previous conversation and continued. “She always was discerning.”

“I never thought she was discerning so much as cautious. Guarded,” Harry responded. “To be honest, I always assumed that sometime someone let her down.” He eyed Burke up and down, not bothering to mask his dislike this time.

“Yeah, well, B’Elanna can be pretty demanding. Actually, during the last few months we were together, she could be a real—”

“You’re speaking about _Voyager’s_ chief engineer, Commander. To one of her best friends. You might want to remember that.”

Max laughed. “I forgot that you guys stuck to ‘fleet regs. It seems like a waste of time out here.”

“It works for us. I think it was the only thing that would have worked for us.”

Burke nodded. “You know, I was her first boyfriend.” 

Apparently he wasn’t going to be distracted. “Were you?” Polite disinterest. If Tom could fake polite _interest_ in this clown, surely he could manage _dis_ interest. The turbolift door was suddenly fascinating. 

“You don’t like me.”

Harry turned his head and looked at him. “What makes you say that, Commander? I don’t even know you.”

“Ahhh, but you still don’t like me, I can tell. It’s because B’Elanna and I used to mean something to each other, isn’t it? You don’t like the idea that I used to date your friend.”

Harry stayed tight lipped. _He outranks you he outranks you he outranks you_.

“No, that’s not it.” Burke was staring at him now, assessing him. He sent Harry a smile, obviously pleased with himself. “You don’t like the idea that I used to date your best friend’s girl.”

Harry blew a breath. Cocked his head. Sent Burke a sidelong glance. “B’Elanna is hardly a girl anymore. And she’s capable of making her own decisions. You know, she made a few mistakes when she was first made _Voyager’s_ chief engineer. It’s understandable, since she didn’t finish at the Academy. But she learned from those mistakes, and I never saw her make the same one twice.”

Burke laughed. “I just don’t want you to think that I’m a threat to their relationship.”

The ‘lift stopped and the doors opened, patiently waiting for its passengers to disembark. Harry smiled his first genuine smile in several hours. “Believe me, I don’t.” 

Burke nodded, all traces of good humour leaving him. “A piece of advice, Mister Kim? A man can be too loyal to his friend. That friendship can blind you to his faults.”

“I think I’m aware of all of Tom’s faults, Commander. But thank you for the advice. This is your deck. Do you need an escort to your quarters?” Harry’s eyebrow rose.

“No, thank you.” Burke stepped out into the corridor and paused, then turned and addressed Harry one more time. “It’s just that things might get shaken up around here, Ensign. I’d hate to see you on the wrong side.”

“Side?” Harry put on his best _innocently baffled_ expression. “Aren’t we all on the same side?”

“Of course.” Burke nodded. “But there does appear to be a few too many officers on the ship. She’s a little top heavy. I’d hate to see her sink. I’d hate to see anyone go down who didn’t deserve to.” He smiled. “I imagine, at the very least, Janeway will make Rudy her XO. Some of the changes that are coming might be a tough pill to swallow for some people. You’ll want to be careful who your friends are.”

Well, didn’t this sound familiar? “I think I’ve done a pretty good job of choosing my friends so far, Commander, but thank you for the advice.”

Burke smiled again and opened his mouth, but the ‘lift doors started to close and Harry didn’t stop them. What a loser, he thought. What had B’Elanna ever seen in that jerk? He was tempted to comm Tom and warn him, but he was likely on _yellow alert_ already. He called for his own deck, musing on coincidence and Tom’s rotten luck, and the likelihood that Tom, B’Elanna, or both might sock Burke in the jaw before this crisis was over. He thought about the _Equinox_ crew, and about Marla Gilmore: pretty, nice, obviously traumatized, and decided to ask her to share another meal with him soon. She looked like she needed a friend. 

~~~~~~


End file.
